Hospital District restores funding to Mental Health Association of Indian River County

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY ? The largest local benefactor of the Mental Health Association of Indian River County, voted Thursday to restore $390,000 in funding to the agency after its board and CEO were replaced.

"They've done what we've asked," said Dr. Thomas Spackman, who heads the Indian River County Hospital District's board. "In the last several weeks, their board has spent hundreds of hours doing their due diligence trying to sort things out. It is going to be a gang-buster board."

Spackman said with Thursday's vote, funding for the Mental Health Association was restored to the end of December.

"It was a great first step," said John Taylor, a member of the Mental Health Association's new board and executive committee, who is serving as the board's spokesman. "We're delighted by the support to return to funding the association."

Joe Smith, chairman of the new board for the Mental Health Association, introduced interim president and clinical director Robert Brugnoli, who will oversee operations while the executive committee undertakes a search for a permanent CEO. Former president and CEO Kris Sarkauskas resigned under fire in December, as did most of the previous board.

Smith said funding for the agency is one of the most pressing issues facing the new board. As of Jan. 3, only $42,000 remained in the agency's bank accounts, and the organization had to meet a payroll of about $25,000.

In addition to funding from the hospital district and the Florida Department of Children and Families, the Mental Health Association receives $80,000 from the United Way of Indian River County and $75,000 from the Robert and Eleanora W. McCabe Foundation of Vero Beach. Both the United Way and the McCabe Foundation pulled their funding shortly after the hospital district, and vowed to suspend funding until management changes were made.

Indian River County also decided to suspend its $26,125 grant to the nonprofit agency, barring individual emergency cases, until county officials are comfortable with the agency's new board of directors and Brugnoli.

County Commission Chairman Joe Flescher said he believes the county's funding will also be restored quickly.

"The agency showed good faith in addressing the situation," said Flescher. "They identified a serious problem that was rectified. If the hospital board believes corrective action has been taken, I believe this will be fully supported by my counterparts on the County Commission."

Spackman said several members of the Mental Health Association board met with representatives from the hospital district, the United Way and the McCabe Foundation last week to discuss funding, including whether some emergency funding might be possible to meet payroll obligations.

Ann Marie Suriano, executive director of the hospital district, said the decision to restore funding is being fulfilled as a show of support for mental health care services in Indian River County.

"It is our conclusion that the Mental Health Association has successfully installed leadership that possesses the capacity to begin restoring efficiency in operations at the organization and ensure the continuum of mental health care services and advocacy in our community," Suriano said.

Alma Lee Loy, who was elected vice chairman of the hospital district at Thursday's meeting, said she's hopeful that the new leadership at the Mental Health Association will share with the hospital board its stabilizing activities as they move forward.

"I think they've made great strides in a short period of time," said Loy. "I think it's a credit to the abilities and integrity of the people who agreed to serve on the new board."